Company Registration in Singapore with the human touch of experienced lawyers.

Now made affordable via Advomi’s technology.

For a lean start in Singapore you need a company registration, an address, and a nominee director.

In the beginning, you don’t need a corporate secretary. Singapore law requires you to have a corporate secretary within 6 months of the incorporation. Don’t pay for a corporate secretary before you need one. Hold onto your cash and make this decision later. And when the time comes, our business registration lawyers in Singapore can help you with that too.

When you obtain an Employment pass you can be the director of your company. Then it’s time to stop paying the monthly fee. With Advomi, you only pay for the services you need when you need them.

If you don’t need accounting services immediately after you open a company in Singapore, why should you pay for them? Don’t! When you are ready to start your operations that is the time to make that decision, incur that expense, and make that commitment. When it’s time for accounting services, our business registration lawyers in Singapore can help there as well.

Advomi means incorporation clean and easy. The way doing business in Singapore should be.

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What follows? You will answer a few questions about you and your future company. Then, you will get in touch with our team and we will start the registration process. The company will be registered in a few days by an Advomi lawyer. Meet the team

The incorporation process is entirely remote and digital. You don’t need to be in Singapore, you don’t need to visit offices.

Аbout Advomi

At Advomi, we believe there is a better way to do legal. A more valuable, less invasive way where clients are served in transparent and respectful manner. Our business registration lawyers in Singapore focus on building an amazing experience for you as a client seeking legal solution. We’re excited to simplify legal for you through our products, services and community.

Our incorporation service is dedicated to solving the problems we faced as entrepreneurs starting business in Singapore. Avoid the frustrations we did with a lean and clean incorporation from Advomi.

Аbout Advomi

At Advomi, we believe there is a better way to do legal. A more valuable, less invasive way where clients are served in transparent and respectful manner. We’re obsessively passionate about it, and our mission is to make legal services delightful and affordable. Learn more

We focus on building an amazing experience for you as a client seeking legal solution. We work only with top-tier lawyers and firms in Singapore and Europe. We empower them with technology, we optimize their time and we pass the savings to you. The result is high-quality legal services at affordable prices. We’re excited to simplify legal for you through our products, services and community.

Our incorporation service is dedicated to solving the problems we faced as entrepreneurs starting business in Singapore. Avoid the frustrations we did with a lean and clean incorporation from Advomi.

What do you need to register a company in Singapore?

Choosing a Name & Type of the Company

This is the first step to registering your company. You must choose a name for your entity and file a name application with ACRA (The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority). Once the application is approved you can proceed to open your company in Singapore.

The type of your company depends primarily on the number of shareholders and whether there are corporations among the shareholders. Your lawyer will help you determine the correct type of company for your business.

Every company in Singapore must have a director who is a local resident in Singapore – either a Singapore citizen, a resident of the country or an EntrePass holder. This requirement may be a huge challenge for foreigners when opening a business in Singapore. The EntrePass allows eligible foreigners to start and operate a new company but the procedure for obtaining this pass is quite complex. It will be much easier to obtain local resident status by employing yourself in your new company and then receiving an Employment Pass. Once you’ve become a Singapore resident you will no longer need a nominee director.

Most foreign entrepreneurs in Singapore prefer to appoint a nominee director of the company at least initially since this is by far the easiest way to start. You can also be a director of the company since the requirement is for at least one director to reside in Singapore.

Another key figure is the Company Secretary. The Company Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the company complies with the relevant legislations and regulations. You need to appoint a secretary within 6 months of incorporation, so this is not an immediate concern.

Providing nominee key personnel is among the most popular company incorporation services in Singapore.

When setting up a business in Singapore you should also keep in mind the company domicile requirement. Your company must have a registered address in Singapore. A registered office address refers to the place where all communications and notices to the company are delivered, and the place where the company’s register and records are kept.

As a foreign entrepreneur, before you open a company in Singapore, you probably don’t have an office in the country and the wise option will be to use the office of another entity for correspondence. Virtual office is a popular service in Singapore.

In Singapore the company formation procedure is preceded by planning the issued capital and the distribution of shares. Your company must have at least one shareholder and a minimum of $1 issued capital. You must also choose the type of shares you want to issue and you want to discuss this with a lawyer.

The name, type, address and capital of the company, together with a few other elements are described in a founding document – the constitution of the company. These key characteristics must be clear to you before opening a business in Singapore.

Another consideration before starting the Singapore company formation procedure is related to accounting – choosing a Financial Year End. The FYE will determine when your corporate filings and taxes are due. You can choose the date at your discretion.

Singapore companies are registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). As a foreign citizen you are not eligible to use the electronic filing system BizFile and must opt for the services of a registered filing agent, i.e. a Singapore law firm. Filing your registration application is also among the most common company incorporation services in Singapore.

This is the first step to registering your company. You must choose a name for your entity and file a name application with ACRA (The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority). Once the application is approved you can proceed to open your company in Singapore.

The type of your company depends primarily on the number of shareholders and whether there are corporations among the shareholders. Your lawyer will help you determine the correct type of company for your business.

Every company in Singapore must have a director who is a local resident in Singapore – either a Singapore citizen, a resident of the country or an EntrePass holder. This requirement may be a huge challenge for foreigners when opening a business in Singapore. The EntrePass allows eligible foreigners to start and operate a new company but the procedure for obtaining this pass is quite complex. It will be much easier to obtain local resident status by employing yourself in your new company and then receiving an Employment Pass. Once you’ve become a Singapore resident you will no longer need a nominee director.

Most foreign entrepreneurs in Singapore prefer to appoint a nominee director of the company at least initially since this is by far the easiest way to start. You can also be a director of the company since the requirement is for at least one director to reside in Singapore.

Another key figure is the Company Secretary. The Company Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the company complies with the relevant legislations and regulations. You need to appoint a secretary within 6 months of incorporation, so this is not an immediate concern.

Providing nominee key personnel is among the most popular company incorporation services in Singapore.

When setting up a business in Singapore you should also keep in mind the company domicile requirement. Your company must have a registered address in Singapore. A registered office address refers to the place where all communications and notices to the company are delivered, and the place where the company’s register and records are kept.

As a foreign entrepreneur, before you open a company in Singapore, you probably don’t have an office in the country and the wise option will be to use the office of another entity for correspondence. Virtual office is a popular service in Singapore.

In Singapore the company formation procedure is preceded by planning the issued capital and the distribution of shares. Your company must have at least one shareholder and a minimum of $1 issued capital. You must also choose the type of shares you want to issue and you want to discuss this with a lawyer.

The name, type, address and capital of the company, together with a few other elements are described in a founding document – the constitution of the company. These key characteristics must be clear to you before opening a business in Singapore.

Another consideration before starting the Singapore company formation procedure is related to accounting – choosing a Financial Year End. The FYE will determine when your corporate filings and taxes are due. You can choose the date at your discretion.

Singapore companies are registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). As a foreign citizen you are not eligible to use the electronic filing system BizFile and must opt for the services of a registered filing agent, i.e. a Singapore law firm. Filing your registration application is also among the most common company incorporation services in Singapore.

Question? We have answers.

We will be honest with you. Opening a bank account in Singapore is a complicated and bureaucratic process that unfortunately you must handle on your own. Some of our competitors may offer you services like “introduction to bank” or “assistance with opening an account” but this is essentially nothing because they can’t do this for you Only you can open a bank account.

As a foreigner you can stay in Singapore for 30 or 90 days without obtaining a permit. You may want to check the visa policy of Singapore to see of citizens of your country are eligible to visit Singapore without a visa and to plan your stay in the country if necessary.

If you want to get a Singapore resident status, then you must apply for an Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass) or an Employment Pass. The EntrePass is harder to get so our advice is to stick to the more basic and straightforward Employment Pass procedure. You will need to hire yourself as an employee of the company. This will make you eligible for the pass. Once you get it, you will be considered a Singapore resident and will no longer need a nominee director for your company.

The Singapore Companies Act requires every Private Limited company to have a minimum of one local Singapore resident director. It takes time for foreign citizens to obtain the Singapore resident status so initially having a nominee director is a popular option. The Nominee Director will not be involved in any financial or operational matters or management of the company.

Your company pays less than 9% for the first S$300,000 you make in annual profits, followed by a flat rate of 17% thereafter. Singapore companies do not pay capital gains or dividend taxes.

All companies must file their annual return within 7 months of the end of their financial year.

Your company must also maintain an electronic Register of Members within ACRA and record in it any changes in the share ownership. Similarly, registers of directors, secretaries and other key personnel must also be maintained with ACRA. If you change the company name, address or business activity these changes must also be recorded.

Yes, you can. We have personally gone through the process of company registration, using a virtual address and hiring nominee key personnel. We know that startups in Singapore require flexibility. Most companies will try to force an annual subscription on you. We offer you a monthly subscription for our services with the option to cancel whenever you want.

When planning your incorporation in Singapore you should be looking to set up a limited liability company. There are three options for this type of business structure:

  1. Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)
    This is the most popular company type in Singapore – a classic limited liability company. Its shareholders (owners) can be from 1-50.
  2. Public Limited Company
    A public limited company is a type of LLC which is listed on the stock exchanges. The general public can buy its shares or debentures. The number of its shareholders is more than 50.
  3. Public Company limited by Guarantee
    This type of business is suitable for non-profit initiatives. You may consider it for organizations, clubs, charities, religious bodies, etc.

The total fees are S$315 and there are two government fees:

  • S$15 Name approval fee
  • S$300 Company Registration fee

These fees are included in our incorporation price.

Ready to get started?

Tell us a bit about your need and we’ll follow up shortly.

What happens after setting up a company?

Once you are done setting up your company and registering it with ACRA, the new entity will be assigned a Unique Entity Number (UEN). This is the identification code of your company and you must use it when transacting with government agencies.

An important step to take is to generate a digital identity of the company. In Singapore, this service is called CorpPass. This is the single login method for Government to Business (G2B) transactions in the country since 2018.

Another milestone to consider after setting up a company in Singapore is the mandatory registration for the Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is also known as Value Added Tax (VAT) or Sales Tax in other countries. You must register your company for GST if its annual revenue exceeds S$1 million.

Are you planning to register a company in Singapore?

Are you planning to register a company in Singapore?

Stan Nennoff

Before you do, let me tell you my story.

Last year, I wanted to incorporate a company in Singapore just like you. I have a successful business in Europe and expansion into Singapore was a natural extension of that business. After all, the World Bank ranks Singapore as #2 in the world in their Ease of Doing Business report. Singapore has a great digital infrastructure, high-quality admin, legal, and accounting services, and provides access to talented people. Singapore may not be a big market, but it is a rich market. And most importantly to people in business, it is a great hub to enter fast-growing Southeast Asia.

But, I wasn’t in Singapore. I was in Europe Read more and I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to waste time. I thought I would start the incorporation in Singapore while I still worked in Europe. So, I googled “company registration in Singapore’ and I started my research. There were so many options available. I was immediately lost in an ocean of incorporation service providers desperately looking for a life vest.

The websites I visited were overflowing with information. There were all these packages and add-ons that always contained some vague disclaimers like “includes this” or “doesn’t include that”. And the prices were all over the place, ranging from $700 to $7000. You could even get it free if you contracted to buy a ton of accounting and other services for the next 12 months.

Now, I'm resourceful and I know how to do my research but even I felt overwhelmed. To make matters even worse, many websites wanted to force me to schedule a consultation or engage in a chat session just to get the information I wanted. Man, that didn’t sit well with me. I could see the big sales push coming. As a successful entrepreneur I know you never ask the car dealer if you need a car.

Finally, I reached out to the five or so companies that seemed legit. The process was agonizingly slow. I had to fill out web forms that were always followed by days of email correspondence, and then wading through PDF files with offers all while interacting with people trying to sell me as much stuff as possible. It was exhausting. Read more

I finally picked a company to help me incorporate in Singapore even though I had a gut feeling that I wasn’t going to get the services I needed. Later, I found out my gut was right. I paid for services that I didn’t need at all, or didn’t need at that time. To add insult to injury, I even paid for a year’s worth of services that I only needed for a few months until I set up my operations.

Oh, and did I tell you that these companies advertised that I could incorporate in a few days or even hours? Sure I could - on paper. But what good is a company if you don’t have a bank account to do business? Man did I find out the hard way that it takes time to open a bank account in Singapore.

I discovered those “introduction and bank account opening” services really just pointed to a banker (who pays a commission) or provided someone to go with you to the bank. Really? They didn’t do anything! I had to do all the work. Did you know you can’t open a bank account in Singapore without visiting the bank in person? I sure wish someone would have told me that the banks have their own complicated procedures and opening an account can take up to a month or two, depending on your corporate structure, the company shareholders and your country of residence.

In a nutshell. What was supposed to be easy was a nightmare. It was very difficult to navigate the sea of incorporation providers with all their various packages, services, and yearly subscriptions like so much flotsam trying to pull me down. I needed a lifeboat. Just a quick and lean start. Like every entrepreneur, I can’t predict what will happen in one year and I didn’t like the idea of paying so much for so many services in advance. You know at the start of any business the budget is tight and cash is flowing out and not in. Even though I went with one of the big boys, I wasn’t happy with how things turned out. The bureaucracy was overwhelming, everything was so slow and so complicated. Not to mention the expenses which were much more than what I thought to be reasonable for the services provided.

Now, it’s a year later and I run a successful online marketplace for legal services in Singapore (Advomi.com.sg). But I look around and see that there’s still a real need for businesses to incorporate cleanly and easily in Singapore. But, no one is providing this service.

Until now.

At Advomi we decided that we can and we will do something about it. We put together the best incorporation lawyers and experts and empowered them with technology so on our platform they can do the job faster and at lower prices.

I don’t think anyone should have to go through the frustration and aggravation I did to incorporate in Singapore.

You want to set up your company in Singapore and my company wants to help. I pledge to you that we will only serve your best interests and we will always be open and honest about the process and our prices.

Singapore is a great place to be in business. Let me help you get started.

Stan Nennoff, founder